IE University fosters dialogue across continents with 2024 Transatlantic Bridge Workshop
IE University works relentlessly to stand out as a leader in innovation. As part of this mission, IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs launched the Global Policy Center as the school’s academic think tank. Led by Dr. Ilke Toygü, the Center serves as a hub for policy and applied research, featuring various initiatives, including the Future of Europe, Global Governance and Transatlantic Relations. The Center anticipates future trends in global politics and hosts guest speakers, workshops, conferences and more.
IE University recently hosted the 2024 edition of the Transatlantic Bridge Strategic Foresight Workshop, a highly relevant academic event jointly organized by IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs, the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University, the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins (SAIS) and the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po (PSIA).
After the success of the 2023 Transatlantic Conference, the Foresight Workshop has become a crucial component of the Transatlantic Bridge Alliance, an initiative that brings together four prestigious academic institutions to pursue rigorous analysis and policy recommendations on transatlantic affairs.
The workshop, which boasted a distinguished audience of personalities and experts from both European and North American spheres, was opened by Manuel Muñiz, Provost of IE University and Dean of IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs; H.E. Julissa Reynoso, the United States Ambassador to Spain and Andorra; and special guest Cecilia Malmström, former EU Commissioner for Trade and Home Affairs. Together, they emphasized the importance of building bridges for dialogue and transatlantic collaboration in times of uncertainty and technological change.
Following the opening, a panel, “Evolving Alliances: Transatlantic Relations in a Super-Electoral Year,” was held. It featured prominent experts such as Ruth Bajada from the European External Action Service (EEAS); Max Bergmann from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); and David McKean, former United States Ambassador to Luxembourg. The panel was moderated by Dr. Ilke Toygür, Director of the Global Policy Center at IE School of Politics, Economics, & Global Affairs and professor of Geopolitics of Europe.
“We are entering a moment of big change in the relationship. Electoral periods are periods of adjustment and change. We need to be ready for what is to come and guarantee that fundamental elements of the transatlantic relationship are kept in place and thriving.”
— Ilke Toygür, Director of the Global Policy Center at IE School of Politics, Economics & Global Affairs
The sessions that took place throughout the following day brought together scholars from the four partner schools, as well as experts and policymakers, to analyze the potential impact of the 2024 elections in the United States and the European Parliament. These sessions included a foresight exercise that addressed four crucial policy areas: foreign policy, security and defense; environment, energy and industrial policy; trade, technology and innovation; and democracy, human rights and rule of law.